Composite solid rocket propellants consist of solid particles dispersed in a rubbery matrix called the binder. The principal type of solid particle in most propellants is one or more compounds which furnish oxidizing chemical species to the combustion process and/or liberate energy upon decomposition. The structural properties of the composite propellant are strongly influenced by the strength of the bond between the binder and the surfaces of the solid particles. Since the oxidizers comprise most of the particulate matter, it is the bond between the binder and the oxidizer particle surfaces which has the greatest effect on propellant structural properties.
For composite propellants in which ammonium perchlorate (AP) is the principal oxidizer, a number of effective agents to enhance the bond of the binder to the oxidizer (bonding agents) have been discovered; for examples, refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,745,074 and 4,090,893. However, for propellants in which nitramines are the principal solid oxidizer there has been very limited success in discovering effective bonding agents. Two common nitramines are HMX (cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine) and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine).
Generally, an effective bonding agent will coat the oxidizer surface, chemically react to form an encapsulating film around the particles, and bond to the binder either chemically or adhesively. If the bonding agent film then has sufficient affinity for the oxidizer surface it will prevent binder/oxidizer separation under stress. The bonding agent may be coated onto the oxidizer particles either before incorporation of the oxidizer into the propellant mix or, in some cases, during the propellant mixing operation. It has proven to be exceptionally difficult to achieve a satisfactory bond to nitramine particles.
The structural properties of a composite propellant derive from a complex interaction of binder properties with the solid particles, and are strongly influenced by particle sizes and volumetric loading as well as by the binder/solids bond strength. When the elastomeric binder is strong relative to the binder/solids bond strength, a propellant in sufficient tension will undergo separation of the binder from the solids (sometimes called de-wetting or blanching) followed by large extensions of the binder prior to rupture. Structurally, such a propellant is characterized by high extensibility and low tensile strength. When the binder/solids bond strength is increased, as by a bonding agent, de-wetting is prevented or forestalled resulting in less extensibility and higher tensile strength.
An object of this invention is to provide a bonding agent for nitramine oxidizers in composite solid rocket propellants.
Another object of this invention is to provide a composite solid rocket propellant having increased tensile strength as a result of the use of a bonding agent for the nitramine oxidizer employed in the propellant.